The present invention relates generally to pressure containers and, more particularly, to pressure containers that house electrical and optical components and are suitable for use in underwater applications.
Electrical and optical components are routinely used in a variety of underwater applications. Such components have particular operational environment constraints, e.g., moisture, temperature, and pressure, in which they can be beneficially used. Many such components can experience deleterious effects when exposed conductive fluids such as water or when exposed to high pressure environments. In some underwater applications, ambient pressure can exceed 300 kilograms per square centimeter (kg/cm2). Thus, it is necessary to provide a controlled environment that protects components from adverse operational conditions encountered in underwater applications, particularly, deep-sea operations, e.g., submarines, remotely operated submersibles, underwater ocean and geological instrumentation, and deep-sea diving equipment. Typically, this had been achieved by housing the components in a pressure chamber configured to withstand high external pressure and seal out water.
It is also necessary for the components housed within the pressure chamber to have connections for transmitting and receiving signals with external elements. Several types of connectors facilitating transmissions between the components within the chamber and the external elements are known in the art. Often, such connectors require physical penetrations of the chamber wall, which can cause stress concentrations and promote future failure. To minimize risks of failure, such configurations also typically require reinforced configurations and precision construction, which typically increases costs and size. Moreover, such connectors have conductors that are often individually fabricated, which further affects overall cost.
It should, therefore, be appreciated that there is a need for a cost-effective pressure container that protects electrical and fiber-optic components from the deleterious effects of water and high pressure, while enabling the components to communicate with external elements. The present invention fulfills this need as well as others.
A pressure container is provided that houses electrical and fiber-optic components in a controlled internal environment. The container is configured to define a first chamber having a first pressure which substantially differs from a second pressure in a pressure region external to the sealed chamber and that is configured to transmit signals between the sealed container and the pressure region. The container has a housing that defines the first chamber and has two spaced-apart, confronting walls extending from the first chamber to a pressure region external to the first chamber. The container further has a seal assembly positioned between the confronting walls. The seal assembly includes a planar substrate; a conductive element attached to the planar substrate and extending between the first chamber and the pressure region external to the first chamber for conducting a signal between the first chamber and the pressure region; and sealing material positioned on opposite sides of the insulating substrate and adapted to sealably interface with the parallel confronting walls of the housing. The container further includes one or more securement members that compress the confronting walls of the housing against the seal assembly, to seal the first chamber and thereby define a boundary between the first chamber and the pressure region. The housing and the seal assembly are configured to withstand a pressure differential between the first chamber and the pressure region.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure region is external to the housing.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure region is bound within the housing and the second pressure level is adjustably maintained at ambient pressure.
In a detailed aspect of a preferred embodiment, the housing and the seal assembly are configured to maintain a pressure within the first chamber that is at least 100 kg/cm2 greater than ambient pressure.
Another detailed aspect of a preferred embodiment, the planar substrate and the conductive element are made of printed circuit board material.